Opinion

MOSCOW, March 16. /TASS/. The Platon system charging fees from heavy trucks with a mass more than 12 tonnes will bring about 20 bln rubles ($281 mln) of tax revenues in 2016, which is half of the earlier expected amount, Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov told reporters on Wednesday.

He said that the government had decided to extend the preferential tax treatment for 12 tonnes heavy trucks for 2016.

Initially the authorities planned to raise the tax from March 1 and the Transport Ministry expected the tax revenues to amount to 40 bln rubles ($563 mln) a year, he said.

In autumn the government will decided whether to raise or to keep preferential tariff, he added.

The Platon system charging fees from heavy trucks with a mass of more than 12 tonnes for using the federal roads has been in effect since November 15, 2015. Initially it was planned that up to March 1 2016 truck drivers will have to pay 1.53 rubles (roughly four US cents) per kilometer. Under the existing plans the rate is to go up in the future. The money is to be spent on road repairs.

In December 2015, the Central Bank’s Chief Elvira Nabiullina said that the regulator expects introduction of the Platon tolling system for heavy haulers to add 0.1-0.2% to inflation.

Russia’s Deputy PM Arkady Dvorkovich said he does not expect a spurt in food prices growth due to introduction of the Platon heavy haulers tolling system.